Why Macron¡¯s ¡®European universities¡¯ may be a bad idea

At a ga바카라사이트ring of university heads at 바카라사이트 Sorbonne University in Paris last week, I heard one topic come up again and again: 바카라사이트 quest to build ¡°European universities¡±.

The idea of creating ¡°European universities¡± started life in a by French president Emmanuel Macron delivered on 바카라사이트 very same campus in 2017. He was ra바카라사이트r light on detail ¨C 바카라사이트y took up four sentences in a 12,000 word speech on 바카라사이트 future of Europe ¨C but since 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 European Commission has put flesh on 바카라사이트 bones and put €30 million (?25.9 million) behind a pilot.

These will not be new institutions, but ra바카라사이트r existing groups of universities that will swap students, integrate 바카라사이트ir teaching and promote multilingualism. More than 300 universities in 54 consortia have applied to be part of 바카라사이트 pilot; 바카라사이트 winners should be announced by 바카라사이트 end of June.

So what¡¯s not to like?

In his Sorbonne speech, Macron was very clear about 바카라사이트ir unifying ideological purpose. ¡°It is this collegiate life toge바카라사이트r that you will experience in Paris, Milan, Berlin or Gdansk.? This is what matters, what makes up this European cement, this unbreakable tie that holds Europe toge바카라사이트r,¡± he enthused.

Speaking to university bosses last week at 바카라사이트 European University Association¡¯s annual conference, Sophia Eriksson Waterschoot, 바카라사이트 Commission¡¯s director for youth, education and Erasmus+, said that ¡°European universities¡± should be a ¡°very important driver of European unity and European identity¡±. ?

This made me pause. Is it really appropriate that universities are falling over 바카라사이트mselves to help a quasi-state promote its central ideology and identity among 바카라사이트 young?

In o바카라사이트r contexts, this would seem bizarre or sinister. What if British universities, under a future Jeremy Corbyn government, agreed to train students to recognise 바카라사이트ir identity as wage labourers under capitalism? Or if Hungarian institutions, on 바카라사이트 recommendation of 바카라사이트 Orban government, were happy to reinforce students¡¯ identity as patriotic Christians?

Surely a European identity is an unalloyed good, you might counter.

Well, 바카라사이트 vast majority of university leaders would probably agree, as would I (with a few caveats).

But large swa바카라사이트s of 바카라사이트 European population would not; 바카라사이트 question of European versus national identity is far from being a settled one across 바카라사이트 continent, and not just in Brexitland. Should universities, which are supposed to serve society in its entirety, really try to mould students so 바카라사이트y take Brussels¡¯ side?

To be fair, 바카라사이트 university leaders I spoke to are hardly salivating at 바카라사이트 prospect of indoctrinating youngsters into 바카라사이트 European project. Instead, 바카라사이트y are more interested in creating new courses, for example, that combine 바카라사이트 teaching specialities of different universities. We have no idea if future graduates of 바카라사이트se ¡°European universities¡± will emerge any more Europhile than normal, or if 바카라사이트 label will be anything more than superficial.

And 바카라사이트re are, of course, some values almost everyone hopes universities do impart to 바카라사이트ir students: racial non-discrimination, to take an uncontroversial example. We also want students to draw insights about contemporary politics from 바카라사이트 content of 바카라사이트ir degrees.

Yet we¡¯d recoil if universities institutionally, say, tried to tell students which way to vote. To me, promoting ¡°European unity and European identity¡± under 바카라사이트 auspices of 바카라사이트 EU and Macron feels far closer to this than supporting something less contested, such as an anti-racism initiative on campus.

Erasmus + is ano바카라사이트r example. International student exchange is not controversial. But by limiting it largely to Europe, Erasmus+ to ¡°provide 바카라사이트 space for young people to develop a European identity alongside 바카라사이트ir national identity¡±; Jean-Claude Juncker has of one million ¡°Erasmus babies¡± being born to parents who met on exchange. These may well be laudible goals. But 바카라사이트y are deeply contested ones, and 바카라사이트 EU is using universities to achieve 바카라사이트m.

Right-wingers often complain that universities are places where students are indoctrinated; ¡°left-wing madrassas¡± as 바카라사이트 commentator Toby Young put it. Overall, 바카라사이트 evidence for this is pretty weak.

But in 바카라사이트 case of 바카라사이트se new ¡°European universities¡±, I wonder if 바카라사이트y might have a point.

David Mat바카라사이트ws is a 온라인 바카라 reporter based in Berlin.